


Three Little Birds Part 35

by nancy, Zen



Series: Three Little Birds [35]
Category: Highlander: The Series, The Sentinel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crack, Angst, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, M/M, Multi, New Year's Eve, Over the Top, POV Alternating, Schmoop, Sentinel/Guide Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 01:46:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nancy/pseuds/nancy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zen/pseuds/Zen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zen&nancy's Crossover Soap Opera in which Blair Sandburg, Duncan MacLeod, and eventually, Jim Ellison shack up and share their lives. This is set outside of both series' timelines, just to make things easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Little Birds Part 35

**Author's Note:**

> This is crack!
> 
> Song title and lyrics borrowed without permission from Bob Marley.
> 
> This story was first published years ago at http://hos.slashcity.com/ and is archived here for preservation and accessibility.
> 
> Zen&nancy hope that very soon they will actually put an ending on this epic saga, after all these years.

Duncan was alone in the dojo, doing pull-ups on the bar against the wall. It was only a little after eight, and the early morning sunlight cut bright patches on the dojo floor. His body was one perfectly straight, still, line, the only movement was the steady bend and flex of his arms as he raised himself up and down, counting out loud to himself each time his chin came up over the bar.

He was a little bit concerned about Jim, who had already gone to his own bed when he'd come home late last night. The time alone with Blair had been wonderful, but a small part of his mind had been looking forward to waking Jim up this morning, and maybe even getting the opportunity to talk on the way home. Jogging with Jim every morning had become one of the best parts of his day, and often in the truck on the way home he got the opportunity to talk to Jim about things the other man wouldn't be comfortable saying in front of his Guide.

Jim hadn't been in his apartment when he'd knocked on his door that morning, though, and Duncan was wondering where he'd gone so early, and why he'd decided to skip their morning run. He was a little disappointed, and surprised by how lonely it felt to be working out by himself, as he had every morning before Jim Ellison had come into their lives.

Jim strolled through the door just as his count reached fifty, and Duncan let his body drop, relaxing his rigid muscles and letting himself hang loosely from his arms.

"Hi," Duncan grinned at him as Jim crossed the open floor space, coming to stand almost directly below him. Jim's whole face was lit up with his smile, and he had a bounce to his step that carried him quickly across the large room.

"Hi yourself, hotshot." Jim grinned up him, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Pretty sneaky, Mac."

Duncan laughed, swinging forward and waiting until Jim took a step back before he released, letting himself drop to the ground.

"You must have been  back to the gun shop," Duncan panted slightly, still getting his breath back. He gave Jim a devilish, conspiratorial smile. "They had your guns?"

"It's beautiful, Mac. And way too generous. I can't let you just..."

Duncan interrupted him, shaking his head emphatically. Little drops of sweat went flying off the ends of his hair as he did so. "Yes, you most definitely can. Come on, it's no big deal. I just wanted to give you a little luck to go back on the force with. Use it in moderation." Duncan added more seriously, enjoying Jim's open-mouthed, stunned expression. Buying Jim a present was so enjoyable because he'd had so little of it in his life-- affection, appreciation. Buying the expensive little holdout had been an impulsive thing to do, but the look on Jim's face made Duncan very glad he did; it was priceless.

"You're gonna spoil me rotten, Mac," Jim laughed, but he looked uncomfortable.

"Please? Just this once? For me?" Duncan wasn't sure he was going to talk Jim into accepting the gift, but he was more than willing to pull out all the stops trying.

It worked. His friend blushed deeply, always so noticeable on Jim's light complexion. He shrugged helplessly, shaking his head in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win. This once. Thank you, Mac. I love it."

"Just trying to keep you safe," Duncan agreed, smiling. He was thinking about Blair, and how worried he was about Jim going back to police work. Anything he could do to ease those fears was worth it, but making Jim so happy he blushed was a big bonus.

"I missed you running this morning," Duncan commented, strolling over to the bench for his towel to wipe himself down.

"Gun shop called early. He wasn't going to open today, it being New Year's Eve and all, but the background check came back last night when he was closing up and he said he didn't want me to have to wait all weekend for it, which I really appreciated. So anyway, he asked me if I'd mind coming down early, the guy was trying to get out of town for the weekend. You were still sleeping, I didn't want to wake you." Jim followed Duncan companionably across the dojo and into the locker room, filling him in on his morning.

"That's good." Duncan agreed, listening to Jim as he walked past the benches to the shower, dropping his towel over one of the stalls before stepping into the next. He pushed off his work out shorts, tossing them in the general direction of the nearest bench. Jim was leaning against the last bank of lockers, a few feet away, watching him with casual interest.

"Every time I get jealous of your definition, I remind myself you've got three hundred years of lifting on me," Jim chuckled, his eyes wandering slowly over the hard six pack of Duncan's abs and the muscles that rippled across his back when he turned around to adjust the spray.

Duncan turned to face him, his eyes taking on a little glint of interest; obviously aware of the way he was being admired. "Mm, well, you're bigger, over all. I'm just cut nicer, it's all the martial arts training."

Duncan chuckled a little at his outrageously suggestive words; stretching and flexing under the hot spray for both the pleasure of the heat and the satisfaction of watching Jim admire him. He looked Jim in the eyes, and gave him a wide, uncomplicated smile. He almost asked Jim whether or not he was going to join him, and then quickly decided not to. Duncan wanted Jim to learn that it was perfectly okay for him to make the first move.

Jim stood still for another moment, his eyes moving slowly over Duncan's naked, pumped form with obvious interest and approval. Then he shook himself just a little, standing up straight against the wall of metal lockers.

"Well, I'm going to go on upstairs, put the guns in my apartment. Then I'll probably go on up and see if Blair's making breakfast yet. See you up there?"

Duncan nodded amiably, no trace of disappointment in his voice when he agreed. "Sure, sounds good, I'll be up in a few minutes."

Jim left, after one last appreciative sweep of intense blue eyes down his body. Duncan watched him go, smiling. It would have been just fine with him if Jim had decided to join him, but it wasn't his main objective. He simply wanted to give him the opportunity, to act on whenever he felt comfortable. He wanted to put Jim in as many situations as possible that let him know it was okay to take what he wanted.

* * *

When Duncan strolled into the loft fifteen minutes later, a towel hung around his neck and his wet hair lying in clumps on his shoulders, he found Blair in the kitchen, making omelets, and Jim relaxing on the couch.

"Morning, Duncan," Blair called to him exuberantly, tossing cubes of cheese into the omelet he was creating.

"Good morning. You look happy. Are you excited about the party tonight?" Duncan asked, coming around the counter to collect a good morning kiss from his lover.

"Oh yeah, totally psyched, the party, the new year, everything. It's gonna be great. Are Adam and Amanda going to be there?"

"As far as I know," Duncan answered, trying to sneak a cube of ham. He got his hand slapped away, Blair's palm in the small of his back, pushing him out of the kitchen.

"Go on, get out of here, troublemaker. Go get dressed."

Duncan laughed, going in the direction he was pushed to retrieve clean clothes from his dresser. It was almost the end of Blair's winter break, and he was especially conscious of how nice it was to have both of them in the loft to eat breakfast together. Jim was on the couch, long legs stretched out in front of him in what looked like a very comfortable sprawl. He was reading one of Blair's magazines, a cup of coffee resting on his knee.

"It was a packed house, last year. We should try to get there a little early and see if Joe needs any help stocking the bar." Duncan talked to them as he pulled jeans from his drawer, dropping the towel around his neck into the hamper and stripping off the shorts.

"Sounds good." Blair agreed, raising his voice to be heard over the sizzle of his eggs.

"Whatever you're doing to the those eggs smells incredible, Chief. I'm starving."

Blair chuckled, flipping with a flourish. "You're always starving. Hey, listen, Jim, I want you to stick close to me tonight, okay? If this party is as wild as Duncan says it is I don't want you wandering off on me."

"Would you stop worrying, Chief? I'll be fine." Jim laid the folder of printed materials down on the coffee table to come into the kitchen. He laid one arm across Blair's shoulders, pulling him into a sideways hug at the stove. "Relax, we'll have fun."

Duncan came to join them in the kitchen, coming up behind Jim to enfold him in a short, hard hug. "Don't worry, Caro, I'll help you keep an eye on him. We won't let him out of our sight."

Duncan was teasing, but the confidence and the easy affection he displayed did a world of good for Blair and his anxiety.

"I'll tell you what, maybe we can get him one of those velcro cuffs with a leash for his wrist, like the yuppie mothers have for their toddlers at the zoo. What do you think, we could take turns holding the leash." Blair let out a howl of mock indignation as he was picked up and swung around the room, Jim's arms locked around his waist.

"Okay, okay, no leash." He was laughing so hard it was difficult to get the breath to talk. When Jim finally let him go he was dizzy, and had to grab for Jim's shoulder to get his balance back.

Duncan had saved his omelet from disaster, and was pouring the next one into the pan. "Here, Caro, eat your breakfast. What do you want in yours, Jim? Ham and cheese?"

"Sounds great, Mac." Jim joined Blair at the table, stealing bites of egg off his plate.

"Hey, cut it out! Thief." Blair complained, but he let Jim steal another forkful while he drank his milk.

By the time Blair was halfway through his omelet Jim had one of his own, and shortly after that Duncan joined them at the table with his own breakfast.

"What are you going to wear tonight, Duncan?" Blair's smile was all innocent curiosity, but when Jim rolled his eyes he kicked him under the table.

Duncan shook his head, smiling back around a large bite of toast. "I haven't thought about it yet. Do you want to dress me?"

Blair threw his back and laughed until he was red in the face, but he was nodding. "I want you to wear black."

"Am I in mourning?" Duncan asked, cocking his head at Blair across the table.

"No, I just happen to think you look really hot in black." Blair's expression went from innocent to lecherous in the blink of an eye, that changeling trick that Duncan had found so irresistible from the very first night they'd spent together. Duncan reached across the table to catch Blair's hand, entwining their fingers. "Black it is."

Jim left them staring into each other's eyes, and took his plate into the kitchen to start on the dishes. Lately, when Blair got all moony over Duncan, his first emotional reaction was to agree with him. He couldn't help it; the man made him weak in the knees, too. Duncan was amazing, magnetic and powerful and honorable. The layers of Duncan's history,of his personality, only intrigued him more as he knew him better. Mac's immortality wasn't something they talked about, or worried about, very much at all. Like his hyper-sensitivity, it was something so "normal", so much a part of him, that it faded into the background of their lives, of the days and nights they'd spent together, learning by trial and error how three people were supposed to form one relationship.

* * *

Joe's bar was already crowded when they arrived, just a little after five o'clock. Methos was behind the bar, rapidly filling pint glasses at the taps. He raised a hand in greeting when Duncan came in, too busy to look up. For a moment, Duncan had to wonder how Methos could be so absolutely sure it was him, not to even have to confirm it. But then, he always understood the Methos part of the other man's signature quickening, too. Jim, who was right behind Duncan coming down the three steps, missed none of it. He leaned over Mac's shoulder to ask in an undertone. "How does he know it's you?"

"He can feel it, it's because we know each other." Duncan explained away the phenomenon, not wanting to think about it too much himself.

Duncan knew almost everyone who had shown up early, although more than half the tables were already taken. He was quickly drawn over to a group of regulars. Blair caught Jim's sleeve, leading him towards the bar. He didn't try to talk over the noise, because if his Sentinel had followed directions he already had his ears turned way down, but Jim followed him willingly.

"Happy New Year, Adam!"

"Happy New Year, Blair," Methos agreed, reaching into the silver ice cooler to pull out a Heineken bottle. He paused for a moment, squinting at Jim with a contemplative expression. "Fosters?"

"That'll work," Jim agreed with a quick nod, trying to figure out why it annoyed him that Pierson could guess what kind of beer he liked. He certainly seemed a natural behind the bar. Jim watched him for a few seconds, fascinated by the totally economical stream of motion, the way the awkward, angular limbs moved so fluidly, doing three things at once and keeping up a conversation with Blair at the same time.

"I hear you're going back on the job." The friendly voice cut into his observation, and Jim shifted his eyes away quickly.

Why was he so uncomfortable talking to Pierson, even now that he understood what he was? It was the nagging sense that this guy wasn't just hiding something, he was hiding _everything_. There _was_ a person in there somewhere, but Jim got the feeling that he had very little in common with Adam's outward persona, and that made him nervous.

"Yep." Jim accepted the cold bottle, stepping back from the bar while Blair dug in his jeans pockets for singles.

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks." Jim caught a quick, catlike smile before Adam's attention was caught by another thirsty customer.

Spencer waved to them from across the room, one arm around Colleen's shoulders, and Jim made his way over to wish them a Happy New Year.

"Hi Jim! Happy New Year. Did you have a good Christmas?" Colleen greeted him, standing up on her tip toes to give him a hug. Colleen was tiny, barely five feet tall, but she looked even smaller next to Spence. A plump, pretty woman in her early thirties, Jim had liked Colleen from the first moment he'd met her. She was very easy to talk to, and he could tell right away that she was just as crazy about Spencer as he was about her, and that she did a very good job of keeping him in line.

"Wonderful, best holiday I've had in years. How about you two? Did the nephews like their presents?"

"Oh yeah, they went nuts, man, it was awesome. You should have seen their faces when they they unwrapped the rollerblades. They've got us talked into taking them to a rink to skate next weekend. Hey, does Blair blade? Maybe he'll want to come with."

Jim laughed, remembering Blair on the inline skates, trying to help the boy genius who'd wrecked his car. He'd fallen down so many times there had been more of him bruised than not by the end of the day. "Putting Blair on skates isn't safe."

"I heard that!" Blair came up behind him, punching him good naturally in the side. "He's right, I'm totally uncoordinated. Did the boys like their blades?"

"Big time. What'd you get, Blair?"

Blair laughed, bright eyes smiling at Jim. "I made out like a bandit, man. Let's see, I got a Playstation, and a new backpack, and Duncan gave me this." Blair held up his fist for Spence and Colleen to see.

"Wow. That's gorgeous, Blair. It looks very old." Colleen took his hand, lifting it up to admire the signet ring more closely.

"It's been in Duncan's family for generations," Blair obfuscated, catching Jim's grin over Colleen's head.

"That's so beautiful, Blair. You're such a lucky guy. Duncan is just such a good person, I'm so happy he's found someone to love." Colleen smiled at him beatifically, giving him his hand back.

Duncan joined them, coming up behind Blair to wrap an arm around his shoulder. He caught Jim's eye, making sure he knew he was included. "I'm the lucky one."

* * *

The year had less than an hour left, and just about everyone was drunk, or at least halfway there. Joe had so many friends that were musicians that rather than have just one band play, he kept the mike live and the crowd enjoyed a continuous wide variety of music.

It was so loud that Blair had to lean close to Adam to hear what he was saying, and his eyes kept searching the crowd for Jim, checking on him every few minutes. He looked like he was having a great time, sitting at a table with Duncan and Amanda and Colleen and Spence.

"Come on, Adam, lay it out for me, man. What are you saying, that Jim needs to be baby-sat? I do quite a bit of hand holding and shadowing as it is."

"Yes, but in what context? Who's in control?"

"We are."

"Hmm. I wonder if that's what he'd say?"

Blair laughed, only feeling a tiny bit guilty for pumping Adam for information when he was drunk. "Yeah, well, control is sort of an issue for him, you know? I mean, it would be for me, too, if I had to stay on top of all five of my senses twenty-four seven to keep from going off into la la land."

Methos nodded, and drank his beer. He wasn't drunk, but it was entertaining to let Blair think he was. He was possibly a little tipsy. Every time Blair looked up to find his Sentinel, he thought of the one three hundred years dead, burned on a pyre high up in the mountains, so completely gone that to look at Jim Ellison made him want to pound his fist with rage on the bar top.

"I'll give you one little hint, Blair. _Passive-agressive_ isn't a good personality trait for a Sentinel's Guide. Their charges don't live long lives." He dropped his empty bottle in a large trash can behind the bar, and wandered back to the cooler to get himself another.

Blair squinted, trying to understand everything the Immortal was telling him at once. "You mean..."

"Now, now, this isn't a lecture, Mr. Sandburg, it's a party. Go, have some fun." Methos made shooing motions at him, nodding in the direction of Duncan and Jim.

"Okay, but I'm not gonna forget that. Another time." Blair smiled, and turned away from the bar reluctantly to weave slowly through the crowd.

When he joined them at the table Jim leaned over to speak near his ear. "Talking shop, Chief?"

Blair frowned at him, clearly distressed. "You shouldn't be doing that in here, it's too loud. What if you zoned?"

"I didn't." Jim gave him a cocky smile, squeezing his hand briefly under the table. "You worry too much."

"Not enough." Blair grumbled, but he let it go.

* * *

It was a little past three a.m. when they returned to the loft. Jim and Duncan swayed down the hallway, arms around each other's shoulders.Blair had taken it considerably easier on the alcohol. He took the elevator key out of Duncan's hand, fitting it into the lock to take them upstairs.

"Thank you, Caro." Duncan smiled at him, one arm draped over Jim's shoulders for balance.

"No problem, handsome," Blair grinned back at him. "You looked like you could use a little help."

"Jim, he's making fun of me." Duncan complained, leaning over Jim's shoulder so far he made them both stumble a step to the left.

"Easy, Mac, you're a little heavier than he is."

"Oh, what are you saying, you can just toss me over your shoulder like a sack of flour?"

Jim chuckled, swaying against Duncan's weight. "Don't tempt me, Sparky." The truth was, he was having a little difficulty keeping his own balance, let alone Duncan's.

"That's it, man, you're dead meat," Blair warned, waiting until Jim had disengaged Duncan, pulled the gate and stepped out of the lift to execute his attack.

He took a running start and tackled his Sentinel from behind, jumping onto his back to wrestle him to the floor. Duncan stood back and admired the combination of speed and guile Blair used to scramble on top of the larger man, pinning Jim with his back up against the side of the couch and all his weight on Jim's thighs. Blair's fists pushed into the hollows of Jim's shoulders, keeping him pressed firmly against the sofa.

"See, big guys like you are all talk," Blair crowed, purposely letting his knees dig in to the hard muscles beneath him.

"You're heavy," Jim told him, sounding rather surprised, and ready to play fight in earnest. "And if you don't get your knees away from my groin I'm gonna..."

"Yeah? What?" Blair taunted back; shifting quickly when it looked like Jim was going to get his arms out from behind him. He'd managed to pin him against the sturdy furniture with his arms stuck behind his back, but it was going to take considerable effort to keep him that way.

"I'm gonna toss you on your butt," Jim informed him, sounding mean and deadly serious.

Blair laughed, undaunted. He met the sparkling blue eyes with wicked merriment. "Wouldn't you rather fuck?"

Blair sprung to action in the second of shocked reaction he got from the horny Sentinel beneath him. He threw them both to the side, falling down on top Jim just as his back hit the hardwood floor. He knocked the wind out of him, and while he gasped for breath Blair spread his weight out evenly on top of him, knees and elbows once again digging in to keep him there.

Blair watched, surprised and very excited, as his play fighting partner went still and limp beneath him, arms thrown up over his head. His hands hit the floor hard in the seconds of silence. He could feel the wave of heat that came off Jim's body, and felt his cock harden quickly, fighting for space in the restraining suit pants.

"What do you think? Wouldn't "uncle" be a good idea right about now?" Blair teased relentlessly, purposely grinding his groin over the tight bulge beneath him.

"Blair!" Jim gasped, trying to squirm out from under the painful knees.

"Come on, tell me I can kick your ass," Blair was laughing, but he didn't budge an inch. Instead, he shifted from his elbows, resting his weight on his forearms across Jim's chest, laying on him as if he were a comfortable piece of furniture.

"No kicking." Jim was trying to keep his tough guy face, but a smile was starting to crack its way through, and his voice shook with what was clearly a very intense and immediate need.

"We'll see about that." Blair lunged forward on top of the larger man, teeth closing quickly over his earlobe. He bit hard, and then sucked even harder before he let go.

"Oh God, Blair," Jim groaned, losing all ability to keep up the pretense of a fight. Blair felt him succumb to the desire that he'd ignited, and a rush of power and satisfaction ran through him, making him even more determined to hold his position.

"Yeah? What? You were trying to tell me I own your ass, right?" Blair growled playfully, sweeping down to lick his neck, a quick stroke all the way from his Adam's apple to his jaw.

They were both laughing, but Blair still refused to budge, letting his Sentinel support all his weight, his legs stretched out on top of him. Jim pushed his hips up sharply beneath him when he shifted a little, taking some of his weight off the hard groin.

"Whatever you say," Jim finally gasped, chest heaving beneath him.

Maybe Adam's on to something, Blair thought, dropping down to seize the smiling mouth, telling himself that he had to take this concept slowly, figure it out first, not just take the bit in his mouth and run like a wild mustang, and tried even harder to make his hard cock believe him.

Jim kissed him back enthusiastically, but there was no question about who was in charge of the action. Blair's bladder finally forced him to break the kiss, taking one last lick across the hungry lips before springing to his feet. He disappeared into the bathroom before Jim could catch him, locking the door behind him.

* * *

In the bathroom, Blair relieved himself with some difficulty, and washed his hands and face. Staring into the mirror over the sink, Blair looked himself in the eye and tried again to curb the way his hormones were trying to take over his brain. He needed to be able to think this through carefully. Otherwise, his cock was going to get way ahead of them. If he was understanding the little tidbits of information that Adam had tossed at him, the Guide was the one in control, all the time, that was the history of the dynamic. It only stood to reason that this would carry over to sex, so maybe he'd been looking at Jim's behavior all wrong from the start.

He thought about the way Jim had responded to him since their relationship had become physical, the way Jim had allowed him to lead him, to guide him. It was just so hard for him to think of himself as dominant where Jim Ellison was concerned, it wasn't how he'd ever imagined sex between them, that was for sure. It wasn't the size thing, it was just Jim. He'd been submissive to him in every aspect of their relationship from the very first day; it was Jim who was in control, and Blair who did exactly what Jim told him to. Was that what had marked the situation for disaster from the first? Would Incacha have told him that he was doing everything wrong, if he'd had lived long enough? That was a frustrating thought, Blair frowned at himself, pushed it back. He'd already wasted plenty of time trying to figure out what wisdom Incacha might have entrusted him with, if he'd lived, or if he would have judged him worthy to guide his Enquiri at all.

"Stop it. Get back to here and now," Blair whispered aloud, trying to ignore all the conflicting urges going on in his head. He wanted to get Jim into bed and make him talk, and he wanted to get Jim into bed and just take him, take whatever he would give. "Let's try and go for a compromise; way safer," Blair muttered, raking a hand through his hair before he turned out the light and left the bathroom.

* * *

Duncan was at the sink, drinking cold water in a determined attempt to sober up quickly enough to take part in the play. Jim got to his feet, grinning at him. He watched Duncan's Adam's apple bob as he drank, the sound of the running water and Duncan swallowing loud in his ears. All his senses were spiking after the close contact with Blair's hot, squirming body.

"He got you good," Duncan observed, watching the intense hunger in Jim's eyes with interest.

"He's dangerous," Jim agreed, coming over to stand directly behind him. He wrapped his arms around Duncan, leaning over his back to wrap all the way around his chest and hug him close.

"Mmm, definitely." Duncan arched back into Jim's chest, letting him support his weight as he dropped his head back on Jim's shoulder to whisper in his ear. "I love watching him, the way he can get you all worked up in about two seconds. It's incredible."

Jim growled low, turning his face to nibble over Duncan's jaw, bending his neck back to reach his throat.

"Do you?"

"Yeah, it's fascinating." Duncan moaned out loud as Jim's hands moved boldly from his chest straight down to his groin, covering his hardening cock and squeezing him gently.

"I like you like this," Jim told him quietly, his hands moving possessively over Duncan's groin, fingers spreading out to squeeze the narrow hips hard before moving back to stroke his cock through the thin cloth of his dress slacks. "We really get you going, huh?"

"Mmm." Duncan agreed; reaching to suck on the earlobe Blair had bitten.

"Oh man, you two are so fucking hot, I swear to God." Blair came out of the bathroom, stopping a few feet away to stare at them with greedy, lustful eyes.

"That's funny, Caro, I was just saying the same thing about the two of you," Duncan gasped, twisting in Jim's arms, his own hands reaching back to hold the back of Jim's head as his neck was devoured.

"Thanks. Jim man, are you going to eat him alive? Save some for me, okay?" Blair stood on the other side of the counter, watching, while Jim feasted on Duncan's throat, jaw and lips. He looked like he was perfectly ready to devour the rest of him, a few inches at a time.

"Come and get it," Jim advised, pulling Duncan backwards with him out of the kitchen and walking them across the room towards the bed.

Blair followed them, turning back the covers for Jim to push Duncan down on the sheets. He watched his Sentinel cover Duncan's body, full of anticipation and deep curiosity. Would Jim keep the dominant role he'd taken, or would he give up the control to Duncan, who was pulling Jim's clothes off from beneath him, fighting to undo the small buttons and shove the shirt away while he was being pushed back on the bed, Jim's weight on top of him.

"Come here, Caro, help me," Duncan invited, trying to pull Jim's shirt off his arms.

"Mmm, you don't look like you need any help," Blair laughed, pouncing behind Jim to undo the fastening on his pants, arms reaching around his waist to slip the zipper down. "I'm all for getting his clothes off, though."

Jim let him push his slacks and underwear off his hips, but he stayed on his knees between Duncan's legs, and Blair was forced to leave the clothing bunched up on his thighs and move on to the undershirt.

Duncan seemed to have decided to lay still and let Jim kiss him to death. Blair watched Jim hovering over Duncan, his back arched and shoulders tense. He was such a beautiful animal, for a moment Blair thought that he was going to zone out. Every time he got close to Jim, he felt the connection grow stronger, but it was more than that, it was power, his own power. He was getting closer to the answer, right here, Blair thought. He moved over a little to give Jim more room, watching them intently while he took off his own clothes.

Duncan was moving beneath Jim, twisting and arching to help facilitate the loss of his shirt and pants. Blair watched, feeling almost as if Jim was touching him, it affected him so powerfully to watch his hands on Duncan's body. They were, undeniably, both very fine looking men, but it was the way Jim was touching Duncan that was making it so hard to remember to do things like breathe and swallow. Jim was so focused that Blair thought he might zone. He was stroking Duncan with his fingertips, long, light sweeps across his chest and stomach and up his arms, watching his face while he touched him. Blair was sure that he was using his sense of touch to figure out exactly what would please Duncan most. Blair's already hard cock swelled with sympathy for the way Jim's hands were wandering slowly over his body, drawing out the anticipation.

Duncan gasped harshly, and Blair's eyes followed Jim's hands down his body, watching as he took Duncan's cock in his hands, stroking him just as lightly. "Mmm, Jesus that feels good," Duncan wheezed, breathing heavily under Jim's gentle touch.

"Yeah? What else do you like?" Jim asked quietly, his words frank and simple. Blair looked up at him, surprised. "Tell me, how do you like to be touched?" Jim asked again, low and husky.

"Um, oh God. Um, that's good. Harder? Just a little, ahh, slower."

"You look... I don't even know how to tell you." Jim was staring into Duncan's eyes, looking at him with such tenderness that Blair suddenly thought that Jim must love Duncan, maybe even as much as he did.

"Suck me?" Duncan whispered, opening his eyes to look at the man kneeling above him; Uncertainty and a very intimate desire expressed in his dark eyes.

Jim didn't answer him, his mouth was already on his cock, dropping little kisses all over the head, tongue flicking out to taste the drop of precum at the slit.

"Oh my God." Blair heard himself groan, plastering himself up against Duncan's side. He felt his lover's warm hand reach out to close gently around him, stroking his cock with uneven jerks as Jim's mouth took him in.

"Duncan," Blair moaned, pressing himself hard against Duncan's side.

"Come here, Caro, bring it to me," Duncan groaned softly, arching into Jim's mouth as he slid smoothly up and down on his hard shaft.

Blair scrambled to the head of the bed on his knees, bringing his cock to Duncan's lips. With his fist wrapped around the shaft, Blair brushed the tip his cock slowly over Duncan's soft mouth, tracing his lips with gentle insistence. "Open up," Blair whispered, a rush of satisfaction shooting through him when his lover obeyed him instantly, relaxing his jaw to let him slip inside.

"Mmm, you look, so hot. Is it good, to have me in your mouth while he's sucking you? Yeah, I can see it, in your eyes. I can't believe I've got you like this. Oh Duncan."

Blair held still in Duncan's mouth, not wanting to distract him too much from the pleasure he was receiving. His lover seemed perfectly capable of doing both, though, before long he was moving with Jim's rhythm, swallowing Blair's cock and releasing him, moaning around him every time he took a breath.

Blair couldn't see Jim, but he could feel him, could feel his excitement as Duncan writhed beneath them, sucking him frantically in between deep groans of pleasure. He pulled back, releasing Blair from his mouth just before he came.

"Jim!"

Blair leaned back to watch Duncan shudder and thrust into Jim's mouth, and turned around in time to see his Sentinel sit back on his haunches, licking his lips, looking for all the world like his animal spirit, the panther. He was flushed, panting a little and very proud of himself, he could see it in the wide grin spreading across Jim's face.

Blair took one look at him, and pounced. A rush of emotion swept through him so intense that it felt like for a moment he lost consciousness, or slipped into a different state of being. Not possessiveness, but _possession_ , and tremendous pride and satisfaction with his Sentinel, with the knowledge that Jim's spirit _belonged_ to him, and even stronger, the need to claim it.

"Blair," Jim whispered his name, but Blair didn't hear it, he felt it; it vibrated in his head, in his bones. He heard the demand and the admission of need and the promise in the one word Jim could say.

He spread out on top of the larger body, laying Jim down on his back and flattening himself out to cover as much of him as he could reach. "I need to make this real. I need to be a part of you."

Blair rubbed his cheek back and forth across hard cheekbone, sniffing his skin and licking at his hairline because he couldn't stop himself, couldn't resist the urge to recognize his taste and smell. He wanted to rub his face over Jim's entire body, to lick him from head to toe.

Duncan actually made him jump when he laid a warm hand on his back. For a few seconds he'd completely forgotten that Duncan was there at all.

"Easy, Caro. It's okay. Would you like me to go? I could let you be alone."

Blair stared at him, feeling tears forming in eyes. His lover was the most perceptive, compassionate, intuitive person he'd ever known. Instantly, he knew that he wanted Duncan here with them, needed him. Duncan's quiet strength and unconditional love kept him grounded, secure, and confident. In a quick flash of memory, Blair thought of the one of the first conversations they'd had about Jim and his life in Cascade. Duncan had asked him, who guides the Guide?

"You're so good. I love you. No, don't go anywhere. Come closer, get comfortable," Blair urged, sitting up to allow Jim to shift, scooting down on the sheets to make room for Duncan to sit above them, his back against the headboard.

Duncan settled with his knees drawn up and his legs spread, pulling Jim up between them. Blair watched Jim approvingly as he wriggled back up on the bed to lay with his shoulders against Duncan's spread thighs and his cheek piloted on his groin, nuzzling his soft cock affectionately. Jim's arms lay still at his sides when Blair covered him with his weight, his eyes closed and his mouth soft and slack over Duncan's slightly engorged shaft. It was too beautiful for words. He wanted to tell Jim what it did to him, to have him this way, to watch his mouth on Duncan's cock, but he couldn't find any words to express the depth of the emotion. Instead, he leaned in to kiss him, licking and sucking over Duncan's stirring sex and the eager, offered up lips.

"Ohh," Duncan exhaled softly as they kissed around him, licking and chasing each other around his cock.

When he'd had enough of his lips, Blair moved down Jim's neck with long sweeps of his tongue, already too greedy for the rest of him to take his time.

"Blair, Oh God, honey, don't stop. I need- I need you."

"I know, I know, I'm so there." Blair mumbled a distracted reassurance as he licked his way down Jim's chest. Capturing a hard nipple, he sucked avidly, feeling his Sentinel shudder and surge beneath him. Blair was past any kind of rational thought, so focussed on Jim and the hunger they were feeding between them that he wasn't sure he was going to be able to stop when Jim told him to. He was on fire, every part of him screaming for Jim's body with an intensity that was becoming painfully urgent. Blair wasn't sure this was sex, anymore. This was need, it was animalistic, totally sensory instinct. Instinct and hunger and what felt like a challenge he was predestined to meet, to conquer.

"Blair?" Jim's whisper pulled him back from the dark, lustful trance he could feel himself falling into. Blair raised his face from the burning skin, so that he could see Jim's eyes.

"What?"

"I can feel you, inside. Do you feel it too? I don't want you to stop, please, Blair." Jim's whisper went from joyfully shocked and intimate to desperate and serious on the last two words, and Blair heard them vibrating in his head as he fell down onto Jim's cock, claiming it with his mouth almost savagely.

"You're mine." Blair heard the harsh sound come out of his throat, unrecognizable, as he covered his Sentinel's cock with long, rough sweeps of his tongue. "And I'm never going to leave you, and I'm always going to be a part of you, I'm always going to be in your head, in your spirit, in your dreams. I swear it."

"Yes. Oh God, please." Jim cried out, arching under his Guide's fierce mouth, begging for him.

* * *

Duncan held Jim's shoulders, not trying to restrain him when he twisted and jerked under Blair's mouth. Both Jim and Blair had told him they wanted him here, but now he wished that he'd slipped away when he'd had the opportunity. The magic being woven between Sentinel and Guide was too real to be called anything else. He watched them with awe, and a strong, protective love, trying not to intrude.

Jim's arms came up, elbows bent to reach behind him, his hands groping for Duncan's shoulders. When he found them, he gripped hard; anchoring himself and holding on tightly as Blair devoured his cock, taking the entire length down his throat in one swallow.

"Duncan." Jim groaned helplessly. He sounded lost, afraid of the intensity of the pleasure. His eyes were tightly shut, teeth tearing at his lip.

"I've got you. I'm here." Duncan heard himself reassure the distressed Sentinel in his arms, his voice low and musical. He pulled Jim up a little higher, so that he could get his arms around the top of his chest, trying to shelter him with his body. "It's safe, everything is going to be alright, I've got you, I won't let you go."

"Keep him here, Duncan." Blair's voice came to him from what seemed like a long distance, charging him with the task of guarding Jim's senses while he claimed his body.

He leaned over until he could reach Jim's mouth, covering his lips and pushing his way gently inside. He kissed him slowly, and Jim was totally relaxed and limp in his arms, soft mouth opening up to let him in as deep as he wanted to go. Duncan found himself stabbing into Jim's open mouth, invading the soft, wet cavern as possessively as Blair was devouring his sex. Jim let him support all of his weight, holding his head up with his palm curved around the back of his skull. Jim's arms had fallen back to his sides, now one hand came up to touch his face, stroking his cheek lightly, following the quick movement of his tongue. Duncan thought what it must feel like, for him, to be taken like this, and he held him even more tightly, gentling his attack on the soft, willing mouth.

Jim cried out sharply against his lips and Duncan realized that Blair's mouth had abandoned his cock to cover his balls, sucking and licking him with such possessive hunger that Duncan thought he could actually feel the claim his lover was making through Jim's trembling lips. Thrusting into his mouth, Duncan pulled Jim's body up a little higher, so that his weight lay over his stomach and he could hold his upper body tightly against him.

Jim sobbed harshly against his lips, hands groping blindly until he found Duncan's, intertwining their fingers and pulling Duncan's arms tighter around his body. Duncan couldn't bring himself to break away from Jim's mouth long enough to look, but he knew that Blair's path down his body had moved lower, Jim was moaning continuously against his lips, shaking in his arms.

"It's okay. Breathe. I've got you," Duncan whispered tenderly, feeling Jim shift and tense as Blair repositioned him, spreading his thighs and squirming lower to lie down between his legs.

* * *

Jim turned his face into Duncan's chest, pressing his mouth to the hard sternum as Blair's tongue entered him, licking and stabbing with absolute authority over the most intimate parts of his body, making him squirm and gasp with the burning, needy pleasure of having Blair's tongue inside him.

His Guide held his legs spread wide, held him open with enough force to let him know this wasn't up for negotiation, which was good, because he couldn't have gotten an intelligible word out if his life depended on it. He was grateful for Duncan's strong arms around him, holding his back firmly against his chest, and for the playful tongue in his mouth, trying to distract him. He was afraid, but he was even more afraid of stopping, and what it would feel like to lose this sensation, the almost telepathic connection with his Guide. It wasn't like he could hear Blair's thoughts, but he could feel him, could feel Blair's hunger and the rhythm of his heartbeat somehow deep inside his own body.

Blair's tongue scraped over his nerves and Duncan's teeth nipped at his tongue, and his whole body seemed to be nothing but wet, urgent want and emptiness. He clung to Duncan's grip, vaguely aware that Duncan would keep him from falling, from zoning on the sensation of his Guide pushing insistently inside him.

"Listen to me. This is easy, all you have to do is listen to me and let him in. He's already inside you, isn't he?"

Duncan's whisper was deep and resonant, rich sounds that seemed to be somehow connected to Blair's slow movements, synchronized, as if Duncan could feel exactly what was happening to him.

"Okay, talk to me. Oh God, Duncan."

"I know. I know, it's okay. Just relax, it's not going to hurt at all, I promise." Duncan's voice was calm and strong, holding him still. Blair was kneeling between his legs, one slick finger rubbing insistent, gentle circles around his hole, pressing up gently against the bundle of nerves under the skin there.

"Take a nice, deep breath, relax, trust me." Duncan was close, talking with his lips pressed lightly against his cheek, so that he could feel the vibration of the sounds in his mouth.

"Umm, oh God, I'm gonna come. No, Duncan."

Jim sobbed against Duncan's mouth, hanging onto his hands with all his strength, trying to accept the shocking rush of endorphins shooting through him, the pleasure that was too intense to deny.

"Easy, not yet, not yet. Stay here with me, not yet. Easy." Blair's sing-song chant lulled him as a finger pressed slowly into his body, his Guide's heartbeat pulsing in his blood.

"That's it, just let him..." Duncan murmured, stroking his face, holding his head pressed against the center of his chest.

It felt like a very safe place to break apart and cry out from the sensation of Blair's touch inside him, stroking him, claiming him from the inside out.

"Yeah, okay, I'm with you, it's okay. We're just gonna let this happen, now, just stay with me, I'm not gonna let you go, never, just feel me."

Blair's chanting voice wrapped around his brain, held him still and willing and naked and waiting while his Guide explored his body, touching him so intimately that Jim thought that Blair could feel exactly what happened inside him each time he twisted slowly inside, the explosion of pleasure that happened, deep, deep inside him.

It seemed that a long time passed, where he faded in and out of reality, so high on the slow, unending rhythm of Blair's finger moving inside him that everything else just faded away into nothing. Duncan kissed his face, stroked his sides and his hips and gently squeezed his cock, his breathing was slow and deep under his back, but all these things faded away as Blair took him further and further into the place where nothing else mattered but this touch inside him, giving up what his Guide wanted.

"One more time, relax for me, let go now," Blair groaned softly, and Jim realized that there were now two fingers inside him. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a long moan of willing consent. "Umm."

"Yeah, we're so close, I know." Blair's deep voice held him steady as he was stretched and pressed back into the bed, opened up and filled with his Guide's hand.

"Please, do it. I want you inside me." Jim felt as if the words got ripped out of his heart and flew out his mouth solely by the pressure of Blair's fingers thrusting into his body alone.

"Not yet, not yet. I need you to relax, come on, let go for me, just let go. Let Duncan take care of you, he won't let you zone completely, just let go, it's okay."

"He's going to feel so good, Jim," Duncan's whispered against his temple, lips pressing softly against his cheek, nibbling over his jaw to take his mouth again.

Clinging to Duncan's lips, sucking his tongue into his mouth greedily, Jim thought that if Blair didn't make it stop soon, he was going to go mad. He had to move, to shift back, to push against the maddeningly slow invasion.

" _Please_ , Blair."

"Take me," Blair answered him, and Jim realized the hard, slick, insistent pressure against him was Blair's cock, pressing very slowly inside. The head was in, and it felt _fine_ , but when Blair moved he wanted to scream. It was too much, too frightening, to realize that he really was about to take all of that into his body.

"Wait, Caro, be patient," Duncan cautioned softly, and Jim felt his Guide go still.

" _Ahh_ , Blair? I'm scared."

"Shh. I love you; I'm not going to hurt you. Stay right here with me, just feel me, feel me inside you. I can feel your pulse, I can feel you breathe. I just want to be a little deeper, _mmm_ , oh God, Jim, yeah, that's it, so good. _Ahh_. There. Now I'm inside you, forever."

"Blair," Jim heard himself moaning his Guide's name, trying to answer him, to say yes, stay there, right there, always inside me, but he couldn't make the words come out. Duncan held him firmly, arms wrapped around his shoulders, and Jim turned his face back into Duncan's skin, feeling himself open up to accept Blair's cock inside his body.

Duncan took his cock gently in his fist, and Jim moaned in appreciation as pleasure sizzled over his nerves. "Duncan, it feels so good. So good. I don't want it to stop."

"I know, it's okay. Don't move, just lay still and let him do the work, hmm? He's going to come inside you, and you'll feel it, won't you? I know, you'll feel everything." Duncan's soothing instruction floated through his brain as his hand pumped his cock slowly, letting him concentrate on the sensation of Blair deep inside him.

"You're mine, I'm never going to leave you," Blair whispered, shifting slowly to lie down on top of him. Duncan leaned back, taking the extra weight.

"Stay," Jim groaned, reaching up to clutch Blair's shoulders.

"Mmm. Yeah, that feels so good, hmm? If I move just a little." Blair smiled down at him, shifting his hips subtly to rock gently inside him.

" _Ohh_ , Blair, yes, right there." Sparks ran through him, the pleasure exploding inside him starting at the spot where Blair was touching, deep inside.

As he felt Blair begin to move more and more, slowly sliding in and out of him, Jim lost himself. There was no Jim or Blair, there was only one being, made up of both of them, held safely in Duncan's arms. Completion that Jim hadn't known was possible fell over him as he heard Blair yell one word, as he came.

"Mine!"

The sensation of hot come shooting inside him sent Jim into his own orgasm. As he came in Duncan's hands, the feeling that Blair was marking him, from the inside, claiming him, made Jim shudder convulsively. He felt Blair's arms around him, grounding, keeping him safe.

"Mine, mine, mine, mine," Blair was chanting softly, clinging to his body, covered in sweat and shaking so badly that Jim rolled him over, laying him down on the bed.

"Are you okay, Caro?" Duncan's concern broke the silence.

"Mmm, very. Jim?"

"What is it?"

"I love you."

Jim nodded, reaching out to touch his Guide's mouth with his fingertips. "I love you, too. Always. Are you sure you're okay? You're shaking." Jim pulled his Guide into a tight, sweaty hug.

"Yeah, just exhausted. Can I sleep in the middle tonight?"

"Absolutely." Duncan answered him, reaching over Jim to pull Blair into the middle, resettling on his side on Blair's left, his head propped up on one arm.

"Thank you, both of you, for wanting me to stay. I love you both very much." Duncan spoke to them quietly, his free hand stroking absentmindedly through Blair's curls.

"Thank you, Mac." Jim leaned over his Guide to kiss Duncan one more time before they slept.

"I don't wanna go back to school." Blair grumbled, his face buried in Jim's chest.

Duncan chuckled, reaching over them to the bedside table to turn out the light.

"Well, you have two more days, we'll make the most of them."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, handsome."


End file.
